Double vertical interlock bottle crate



May 2, 1944.

L. B. TARTER ET AL 2,347,647 DOUBLE VERTICAL INTERLOCK BOTTLE CRATE Filed April 26, 1945 25 LOUIS B. TARTER WILLIAM TARTER 40 I 4 1 42 INVENTORS BYWBZQUAM/ ATTORNEY Patented May 2, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Louis B. 'Tarter and William Tarter, New .York, N. Y., assignorsby mesne assignments, to Morris Goldman, Aldenville, Pa.

Application April 26, 1943, Serial No. 484,650

3 Claims. (.Cl. 217-19) This invention relates to mates for milk bottles and anobjectlofzthis invention is toiimpriove the construction of slatted crates to prevent breakage of theslats. 7

Crates formilk .biottlesand'the like have heretofore been made with the rods 'which.form the bottoms for the compartments .of the crate run- .ning completely through the lower wooden .slats of the crate. This .puta strainzonthe lowerslats and weakenedthegslats. Theholes which support the .rods in :the lower slats wear, and the strain on the lower .slats in supporting theserods weakem and breaks the slats ;and :they .must be replaced.

The breakage of the bottom slats .is especially aggravated because of the necesity of drilling Another object of thisinvention is to reinforce the opposite walls of a crate by extending the rods of the crate to be substantiallyco-extensive with the over-all dimensions of the crate, the rods extending between the slatsof the superposed tiers and by interlocking the end portions-of the rods with the opposite slats.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in

which: 7

Figure l is a perspective view of a bottle crate embodying this invention.

Figure 2' is a cross-sectional view, the section being taken as on line 2.-.-2.in'Figure 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,

the numeral it indicates a' sec'tional crate for milk bottles and the "like, and comprising'bottom, .intermediate and upper sections or tiers I, I2, and I3 made of Wood slats.

The bottom section .u is made or side slats m and end slats l5 secured in unitary relation in any suitablemanner. The intermediate section is similarly made of side slats l6 and end slats I1. The upper section is made of side slats I8 and end slats I9.

A bottom grid 20 is made .of steel rods or wires 2| and 22 integrally secured together in rightangular relation by :spot welding. Each end portion of the wires 2| and 22 is bent in U-shape form, providing innerfeet 23 and outer feet 24. The distance between the feet 23 is made so that the grid fits snugly into the bottom section II.

As shown in Figure 2' the slats l4 and I5 are of rectangular cross-section and positioned with their larger sides vertically. The slats l4 and I5 have vertically drilled apertures 25 extending only a small distance down into the slats. The distance between the centers of the outer feet 24 is made to correspond with the distance between centers of the holes in opposite slats.

In assembled crate-forming relation, the U-shaped ends 26 rest on top of the end slats of the bottom section II. The lower surface 21 of the grid 20 is positioned considerably below the top surface of the lowermost section II of .the crate Ill and this grid terminates considerably above the bottom of the crate. When the grid 20 is placed in the lower section I the grid surface 21 provides a floor on which the bottles rest. The floor wires are arranged in closely spaced pairs.

The base portions of the U-shaped ends 26 of the wires 2| and 22 of the grid 20 extend horizontally between the lower and intermediate sections II and I2 and space the said sections apart sufficiently to form ventilating openings 28 between the said sections.

An upper grid 30 is made of steel wires 3| and .32 integrally secured together in right-angular relation by spot welding. Eachend portion of the wires 3| and 32 is bent in L-shaped form, providing feet 33. The distance between the feet of the respective Wires is made to correspond with the distance between centers of holes 34 in opposite slats. The wires 3| are sufficiently long to extend horizontally between the top and intermediate sections l3 and I2 and space the said .sections apart sufficiently to form ventilating openings 35 between the said sections. The wires 32 are bent slightly upwardly at the spot weld points 3G and extendhorizontally between the top and intermediatesections and also'space said sections apart.

A spacing .frame '40 made of right-angularly positioned and suitably interconnected wires 4| and 42 form rectangular pockets between them for bottles. The ends of the wires 4| and 42 are .L-shaped and form feet that are positioned in right-angular relation with the frame 40, and

similar -to the feet 33 in the grid 30. The L- shaped foot ends of the wires 4| and 42 are also received in vertical apertures '(not shown) in the upper portions of the'slats 'of the bottom section II. The pockets in the spacing frame 40 are of the same size and are positioned in vertical alineposed sections ll, I2, [3 into a unitary structure,

we employ angle irons or corner irons 45 which are secured to the four corners of the crate by rivets 48 passing through thewood slats.

It will thus be seen that the crate I is built J up of three independent slatted sections l I, I2, l3, and three grid-shaped skeleton frames 20, 30, 40. It is to be noted that where presently, when conveyor dogs apply forcible blows to the bottom slats of the crate, the bottom slats get broken, that in the structure herewith disclosed, in addition to the mechanically interlocked and anchored relation of the outer feet 24 of, the'bottom grid 20 with the slatted bottom section I I, that the inner feet 23 of the U-shaped ends of the respective cross wires provide wire abutments against which the slats react when a blow is applied to the crate from the exterior and that these abutments provide additional reinforcement to the slats of the bottom section, preventing the bottom slats from inward movement or distortion.

The mechanically interlocked relation of parts also prevents distortion or warpage of the wooden slats when in contact with ice or water.

The importance of providing vertically drilled holes in the upper portions of the slats instead of horizontally drilled holes in the lower portions of the slats arises from the fact that the wooden slats are weaker in tension than in compression. In accordance with proper design, holes should not be drilled in the lower portions of the slats, so that thelower portions are bodily intact and therefore adapted to resist maximum tensile stresses.

In order not to weaken the lower portions of the slats we drill holes vertically in the upper portions of the slats, that is, in the compression zone.

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of our invention, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a bottle crate having bottom intermediate and top sections made of slats, said bottom and intermediate slats having vertically positioned wire receiving apertures extending downwardly from their upper surfaces and terminating in the upper portions of said slats, a bottom grid adapted for supporting bottles, said bottom grid being supported between said bottom and intermediate sections with its supporting surface positioned below the upper level of said bottom section, said bottom grid'having u-shaped lateral extensions providing end portions in interlocking engagement with said vertical apertures insaid bottom slats, portions of said U-shaped extensions being in contacting relation wtih the vertical inner surfaces of said bottom slats and, providing abutments for said bottomslats, a bottle spacing frame supported between said bottom and intermediate sections and lying in a horizontal plane on the upper surfaces of said bottom section, said bottle spacing frame having L-shaped lateral extensions in interlocking engagement with vertical apertures in the upper portions of said bottom slats, and a bottle spacing grid mounted between said upper and intermediate sections and having lateral extensions in interlocking engagement with vertical apertures in the upper portions of said intermediate slats, said grids serving to maintain said crate sections in spaced-apart relation and providing openings for ventilation between said sections, and comer angle members uniting said sections in unitary relation.

2. In a bottle crate having side and end walls made of slats and forming bottom intermediate and top sections, said bottom and intermediate slats having vertically positioned wire receiving apertures extending downwardly from their upper surfaces and terminating in the upper portions of said slats, a bottom grid adapted for supporting bottles, said bottom grid being supported between said :bottom and intermediate sections with its supporting surface positioned below the upper level of said bottom section, said bottom grid having U-shaped lateral extensions providing end portions in interlocking engagement with said vertical apertures in said bottom slats, portions of said U-shaped extensions being in contacting relationwith the vertical inner surfaces of said bottom slats and providing abutments for said bottom slats, a bottle spacing frame supported between said bottom and intermediate sections and lying in a horizontal plane on the upper surfaces of said bottom section, said bottle spacing frame having L-shaped lateral extensions in interlocking engagement with vertical apertures in the upper portions of said bottom slats, and a bottle spacing grid mounted between said upper and intermediate sections and having lateral extensions in interlocking engagement with vertical apertures in the upper portions of said intermediate slats, said grids being formed of right angularly extending rods passing over one another in contacting relation, said rods being united in permanent intimate union by Welding at their contact points whereby said rods are held together in non-slidable relation to each other, said grids serving to maintain said crate sections in spacedapart relation and providing openings for ventilation between said sections, and corner angle members uniting said sections in unitary relation.

' 3. In a bottle crate having bottom intermediate and top sections made of slats, said bottom and intermediate slats having vertically positioned wire receiving apertures extending downwardly from their upper surfaces and terminating in the upper portions of said slats, a bottom grid adapted for supporting bottles and a bottle spacing frame supported between said bottom and intermediate sections and lying in a horizontal plane on the upper surfaces of said bottom section, said bottom grid having its supporting surface positioned below the upper level of said bottom section, a bottle spacing grid mounted between said upper and intermediate sections, said grids and frame having lateral extensions in interlocking engagement with sm'd vertical apertures in said slats, said grids and frame being formed of right angulariy extending rods passing over one another in contacting relation, said rods being united in permanent intimate union by welding at their contact points, whereby said rods are held together in non-slidable relation to each other, said grids serving to maintain said crate sections in spacedapart relation and providing openings for ventilation between said sections, and corner angle members uniting said sections in unitary relation.

LOUIS B. TARTER. WILLIAM TARTER. 

